Vawdrey designs first-ever PBS A-double skel

Vawdrey Australia is taking commercial road transport in Victoria to the next level with the introduction of the first‑ever 30m tri-axle A-double PBS combination to operate at the Port of Melbourne. Young transport company, Arrow, will be the first to put the new set into operation.

Wharf cartage has always been a major part of Craig Webster’s life since he entered the industry in the early 2000s, but it took almost 15 years until he started his very own transport business. Alongside his wife Nicole, he is now running one of the most forward-thinking 24-7 container businesses in Melbourne’s bustling wharf precinct.

Having established Arrow in 2011, the Websters know the key to becoming an elite container cartage company will be upping the ante from a productivity standpoint. “We want Arrow to become a household name and the carrier of choice for all customers in our market segment,” says Craig. “That’s why we constantly look at new ideas and learn about new schemes like PBS that could help us improve. And, we certainly won’t hesitate to make a bold move when we come across something that could take our operation and service to the next level.”

Implementing the first two 30m tri-axle A-double sets in Victoria late last year certainly was one such move, but Craig is quick to deflect the credit back to Vawdrey. “The A-double idea goes back to Vawdrey’s Justin Simmonds, who came to me at the start of 2013 with the idea to maximise payload by carrying two 40-foot containers at once, giving us a distinct advantage around the port as well as servicing customer warehouses around country Victoria.”

Even though Vawdrey already had the all-new Super B-double as an option – a novelty that was introduced to the Victorian market in August 2013 – an A-double proved more suitable for Arrow’s daily operation. “It wasn’t just about hauling two 40-foot containers, but about being able to access any site and being able to separate the combination. None of that is permitted when using a Super-B, hence why the A-double made more sense to us. Respect to Vawdrey for only taking six months to produce it.”